Caster



(No Model.)

G. J. HELMSTAEDTER.

GASTER.

No. 445,833. Patented Feb. 3, 1891.

UNITED STATES GEORGE J. I'IELMSTAEDTER,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,833, dated February 3, 1891.

Application filed August 16, 1890.' Serial No, 362,147. (N0 model.) i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. HELMsrAED- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Casters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent the roller-shank from accidentally dropping out of the socket when a piece of furniture to which the caster is attached is lifted from the floor; and it consists in the improved caster, and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, as herein shown and described, and finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure where they occur, Figure 1 represents in elevation a furniture-caster embodying my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a section taken through line 00 of the same.

In said drawings, a indicates the roller, and b the roller-carrier, which are constructed in the usual manner and form.

0 indicates the socket, which is in two parts, as usual, and may be cast or struck or pressed out of sheet metal, as may be preferred.

The peculiar feature of the caster consists in the enlargement cl at the lower extremity of the socket and in its having a chamber or annular recess e formed therein, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Another feature of novelty consists in the spring arms or catches c, secured to the shank fot the caster, which, owing to their shape and that of the chambered enlargement, are adapted to spring into holding engagement with the socket upon pressing the parts to gether with su'fficient force, and to spring out of engagement therewith by pulling them apart with snflicient force, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2. Said arms or catches are held firmly in position between the shoulders formed upon the shank f and the top of the roller-carrier, said shoulders being formed by the diminished portion 9, which passes through the base of said arms and the head of the roller-carrier, and is riveted beneath the same, as indicated in said Fig. 2.

As a modification,the socket-instead of the shank may be provided with a spring catch or catches to engage with an enlargement upon or in a recess in the shank and subserve the same purpose, as will be understood.

The upper extremity of the shank is cone-,

shaped, and works in a correspondinglyshaped seat in the socket, as indicated in the drawings, the purpose of which will be manifest.

Having thus described my invention, wha

I claim as new is 1. The herein-describedcaster, consisting of the roller and carrier, the shank connected to the carrier, the socket having an enlargement at its lower end, an annular chamber in the enlargement having the opening or outlet of reduced diameter, the fiat springhaving the arms or catches engaging the reduced opening of the chamber, and means for securing the spring to the spindle.

2. The herein-described caster, consisting of the rollerand carrier, the shank having the lower end connected to the carrier and reduced to form a shoulder, the socket having a chambered enlargement at its lower end, and a spring fitting on the reduced end of the shank, retained by the shoulder thereof,

and having arms or catches engaging the 

